Ivy Coach College Admissions Blog

The feds are looking into admission to Princeton! Princeton University is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for discriminating against Asian-Americans in their admissions practices. The investigation is underway because a student, an Indian-American, filed a complaint against Princeton (as well as Harvard) for denying him/her admission because of his/her Asian-American race.

We can assure you that Ivy League colleges like Princeton do indeed discriminate based upon one’s Asian-American background, even if they don’t do so intentionally. As we’ve blogged about before (see: Asians and College Admissions), when college admissions counselors review an application of an Asian-American student who happens to play the violin, run track, and compete in Mathletes, they discriminate. They often think to themselves, “Another Asian student who likes math and plays the violin.”

One of these things is not like the other. It’s a philosophy that guides Ivy League admissions counselors in their admissions decisions. Athletes need to differentiate themselves from other athletes. Science researchers from other science researchers. And, yes, while controversial, Asian-Americans from other Asian-Americans.

Whether or not admissions counselors at Princeton or any other highly selective university admit it (Princeton, we assure you, is not alone in discriminating against Asian Americans), Asian-Americans compete against other Asian-Americans. The successful Asian-American applicants are often the ones who differentiate themselves from their Asian-American peers. And chances are slim that this Asian-American student who filed a complaint with the federal government will actually get his/her admissions decision overturned.

Indeed chances are likely that little will change. Because, with a holistic review process used by Ivy League colleges like Princeton, it’s difficult for the federal government to charge discrimination. After all, what if this Asian-American applicant’s essay was just plain boring? Often times, that’s all it takes to be denied admission to a great university like Princeton!